The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-17
PAYNE.s SWEETHEART.
Death of Miss Mary Harden, the Aff1anced
of the Author of s.Home. Sweet Home"

Death of Miss Mary Harden, the Afnanced
of the Author of "Home, Sweet Home"
Atlanta Gal Special.
Miss Mary Harden the fance of John Howard
Payne. and the lady for whom he wrote his
Home, Sweet Home died in Athens last night,
and was buried there to day 1t is claimed that
the original cory of Home. Sweet Home was
buried with her. it interined with love
declarations from Payne. which the lady did not
wish to have fall under the eyes of the public
She had been offered large sums for the manu-
script, but always declined to part with it. Miss
Harden passed her seventy-eighth year on her
last birthday. Probably not half dozen per-
sons outside of Athens knew that the quiet little
home on Hancock avenue held this remarkable
lady. and many residents of Athens even had
lost sight of this aged and un btrusive person.
Her father was Gen. Harden. of Savan-
nah. He wealthy and influential, and
prominent in social circles and in politics. He
gave his daughter every advantage; particularly
was she versed in French, a language which she
maintained with many of the graces of that life
and literature while girl She reared in
French family, and subsequently even learned
the use of the raper. practicing regularly in
fencing exercises. She spent several years in
Europe. completing her education in Paris and
experimenting fine training with the fuilness
and breadth of travel. While still quite young
her father, Gen. Harden, was appointed COM
missioner to treat with the Cherokee Indians
and resided in Rome. Ga. 1t was here that q
romance entered her life, which gave it an inter-
esting cooring toward the close of her days. but
which did not affect her at the time. One
OF the agents assistants in this Indian transac-
ton was John Howard Payne. young man
from New England. He went to Athens with
Gen. Harden and met and loved his daughter
Mary. Payne was ardent and pathetic, but the
young girl was not touched by his wooing. She
was clear headed, sensible. practical and does
not seem to have cared much for society or to
have allowed her thoughts to turn to love.
Payne loved on. He wrote to her. Some
times his appeals were in verse; always ardent
1t was to her that his soul, trouble-rocked and
tempest tossed, indited those beautiful words
Home, Sweet Home" the manuscript Miss
Harden preserved and priced.
When Gen. Harden died in Atlanta it
found that his estate was involved, and much
of his property swept away. His daughter went
bravely to work with her French translation and
made living She did much work of this sort
for large business houses and transating dlplo
matte matters. The French legation in Wash
ington used to keep her constantly employed.
The purity of her French and the elegance of
her English made her invaluable
In this way Miss Harden soon acquired enough
to buy back much of her fathers property The
honse in which she died was of the pieces
reclaimed by her indomisabie work. She ac--
through life. She was worth about $4,000, and
leaves. besides city property. stocks. bonds and
valuable jeweIrv Among the latter treasures in
a city bank some costly trinkets presented
her by persons of title and station when she
went to Europe. 1t is said that she made will
some time ago giving this property to her
nephew in Quitman county. He Inns since died
and her money will probably be divided among
her other relatives
Several of these now live in Qutman Mrs.
Reese and Mrs Asa NJ. jackson. of Athens
cousins of Miss Harden. She lived very
omically and saved most of her income.